Practical Steps to Improve Internal Communication

Internal communication has always been critical, but the way we approach it is evolving fast. With hybrid workforces, multi-site operations, and rising expectations for transparency, many comms teams are rethinking their approach.

A 2023 study by Gallup found that disengaged workers cost the global economy a huge $8.8 trillon in lost productivity, or 9% of global GDP. In addition to this, another workplace study found that 86% of corporate executives cite poor communication and lack of collaboration for workplace failures.

In short, good internal communications are not just a nice to have but a critical part of modern business success. This includes strategies to engage employees, ensuring communication channels are open and accessible and creating a company culture of communication.

We're going to look at some of the strategies to improve internal communication and look at how tools such as digital signage are helping to improve employee engagement and productivity.

Why Internal Comms Feels Harder Than Ever...

For many internal communications teams, their role feels more complex than ever before. While new tools and platforms have opened up more ways to reach employees, they’ve also introduced new challenges. The result? Comms professionals are working harder just to keep messages visible, let alone effective.

One of the biggest reasons is how dispersed today’s workforce has become. Hybrid working has moved from trend to default in many industries, while frontline and deskless roles continue to grow in sectors like manufacturing, transport, and healthcare. Add into the mix contractors and remote workers and the workforce is more diverse and fragmented than ever before.

Communicating consistently across such a mixed landscape is no small task. Some employees check Slack tens of times a day, while others rarely see a corporate email. This fragmentation means comms teams are constantly balancing reach and relevance.

On top of that, employees can easily become overwhelmed with information. With messages coming from HR, IT, operations, leadership, and more, it’s easy for internal updates to be lost in the noise. When every message competes for attention, it becomes harder to cut through with the things that really matter. The result isn’t just missed updates, but lower trust in internal channels overall.

There’s also increasing pressure on speed and transparency. Since 2020, employees have grown used to fast, clear updates from leadership. Waiting too long to communicate can feel evasive or reactive. Yet comms teams still have to navigate approvals, legal reviews, and executive alignment. This tension - between speed and accuracy - adds to the complexity of their role.

Tools haven’t necessarily made things easier either. While most organisations have a stack that includes email, chat, intranet, and video, very few have a joined-up strategy. Messages are often repeated, missed, or siloed across platform. So instead of freeing up time, tech can sometimes create more work: multiple logins, duplicated updates, or disconnected workflows.

Reaching the frontline

Around 80% of the global workforce is non-desk based, often referred to as the deskless workforce. These frontline workers remain one of the hardest groups to reach. In industries like logistics, construction, and hospitality, many employees don’t sit at a desk or have very limited access to a company device.

This often means they miss internal communication messages or struggle to engage with their management or the leadership team. Without the right internal communication tools these employees risk being left out of vital communication loops and missing critical elements of the company culture.

New tech, new challenges

Adding to this, the rise of AI tools is shifting expectations again. With content creation becoming faster, many comms teams are being asked to do more with fewer resources. But internal comms isn’t just about pushing content quickly it’s about creating messages that connect and resonate, helping to build and reinforce culture, and helping employees feel connected to the bigger picture.

So in the world of modern comms tools, the organisations doing internal comms well are those who’ve recognised that more isn’t always better. They’re simplifying where possible, integrating tools, and focusing on employee experience. They’re also diversifying their delivery - using everything from video to digital signage to meet people where they are.

What Are the Different Types of Internal Communication?

Internal communication isn't just a one size fits all approach, especially in the modern business setting. Messages can come from the top, be shared between teams, or even come from employees.

The four types of internal comms include:

• Top down (also known as an information cascade) - senior leadership and management sharing company specific information with the broader workforce.
• Bottom up - workers sharing their feedback and concerns with management or leadership.
• Vertical - sharing information between the workforce and senior teams.
• Horizontal - sharing information between work peers, teams and departments.

Yes, this is a huge simplification of how enterprise internal communication works, but it's a good way to visualize the process and identify the flow of information.

So when it comes to an internal communications plan, how can you work to create a truly effective internal communications strategy and level up your organization's employee engagement?

1. Create a Clear and Shared Communication Policy

Before any internal communication tools or campaigns come into play, you'll need to refer to - or build - the organization's approach to how internal communication should work across your organization. In many cases, especially larger and older established organizations, the actual strategy is either something that has been assumed or has been lost in the layers of time.

Often internal communication teams will need to connect with senior management or the leadership team to help to build this plan.

When looking at this, your internal communications policy should outline core objectives such as:

• What are the objectives and goals for your communication strategies?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• How do these people access this information currently?
• Is this communication one way, or is it an open channel?
• Do you have the right tools or is investment required?

While looking at the overall strategy, you should also take the time to define who is responsible for what. Is internal comms centralized within HR or corporate affairs, or are you empowering local managers to communicate on behalf of their teams?

Set expectations around what gets shared at a company-wide level versus what’s handled regionally or departmentally.

And finally, the policy should offer guidance on channels. When should email be used versus instant messaging, in-person announcements or digital signage? What counts as an urgent update, and who approves messaging before it goes live?

Having this clear policy mapped out removes ambiguity - even if this is an evolving strategy which could change and adapt.

2. Build a Culture That Supports Transparency

Systems and processes are important. But truly effective internal communication thrives in a culture where openness is valued. If employees don’t believe that leadership is being honest, or if they feel like decisions happen behind closed doors, even the most polished comms won’t land.

This doesn't necessarily mean that board members or c-suite need to share regular updates (although there are obviously merits to this), but instead:

• Make leadership visible. Whether that means senior leadership or local management, giving access to decision makers (via a well structured process, of course) can be a huge boost to how employees feel about the business.
• Share regular business updates, whether written or delivered through an all-hands/town hall presentation - this can help humanize the company and provide clarity around strategic priorities.
• Encourage team leads to cascade messages in ways that feel local and relevant. People are more likely to engage with updates that come from someone they know and trust.
• Perhaps most importantly, create safe channels for upward feedback. Anonymous surveys, digital suggestion boxes, and structured Q&A sessions during town halls all give employees a chance to be heard, not just spoken to.

3. Use the Right Tools to Reach the Right People

Modern organizations need a communication stack that reflects the diversity of their workforce. Office workers, frontline staff, contractors, and remote teams all have different needs, habits, and device access.

Intranets, messaging apps and email all make up a key part of the internal communication tools setup. But these tools rely on access to a computer or work device, and on the worker to access this information regularly.

For organizations operating across multiple locations - such as factories, corporate offices, transport hubs and airports, or logistics sites - digital signage offers a uniquely powerful solution. It allows you to broadcast real-time updates, announcements, and engaging content in shared spaces, where people are already present.

Corporate digital signage platforms like ScreenCloud make it easy to manage this at scale. You can group screens by site, target messages to specific audiences, and give local teams the ability to contribute content without compromising on brand consistency.

Of course, digital signage should be part of a broader toolkit. Combine it with messaging apps like Microsoft Teams or Slack, mobile intranets, and email for layered communication. Each channel plays a different role - the key is using them intentionally, rather than flooding employees with redundant messages.

Read more: Engaging deskless workers.

4. Make Communication Two-Way, Not Just Top-Down

Communication should be a conversation, not a monologue. When employees can respond, ask questions, and contribute ideas, they’re far more likely to engage with the information you share.

One of the easiest ways to build two-way communication is through structured feedback loops.

Surveys work well, especially if they’re short, regular, and focused on actionable topics. But don't stop at surveys... Make sure to show that feedback is being heard and acted on. Sharing “you said, we did” examples is a great way to close the loop and builds confidence amongst the team that you do listen to them.

Another powerful tactic is to include space for local managers or team leads to customize or add to messages coming from head office. For example, if you're using digital signage, you might allow regional managers to add context or shout-outs beneath global updates.

Offering a balance of centralized control and local input ensures your messages feel both consistent and relevant.

5. Use Events to Build Human Connection

Even in the most digital workplaces, events remain a vital part of communication. They bring people together, reinforce company culture, and provide opportunities for real-time feedback and discussion.

Company-wide town halls are a great starting point. They allow leadership to share updates and answer questions live, especially when supported with clear visuals and pre-submitted questions. If your teams are geographically dispersed, consider broadcasting these sessions on digital signage screens in common areas, or recording them for later viewing.

Smaller, more informal gatherings can also make a difference. Run some regular events such as:

• Team breakfasts.
• Peer recognition events
• Brown bag sessions
• Off-site or walking meetings
• Internal “ask me anything” sessions with leadership.

Breaking away from the structured type of meeting is a great way to break down barriers, create space for open dialogue and encourage a sense of community, especially in larger or distributed organizations.

If you're using ScreenCloud, content from events — photos, quotes, key messages — can be quickly repurposed into engaging screen content across your sites, helping extend their impact beyond the day itself.

6. Tailor Messages by Audience, Role, and Location

Not every message needs to go to every person. In fact, sending generic updates to everyone can lead to disengagement over time. A better approach is to segment your audiences and tailor your messages accordingly.

Start by identifying the key audiences within your business. These might include frontline staff, office-based teams, managers, or specific departments like logistics or customer support. Think about what matters most to each group and the format they’re most likely to engage with.

You can create custom messages from basic content using our Quick Post tool, or if you're using something like Chat GPT to generate your content, pop it in an AI humanizer to improve the messaging.

Use scheduling tools to time your messages for when they’ll have the most impact. For example, safety updates might need to be shown at shift changeover times, while campaign updates can be scheduled ahead of regional launches.

With ScreenCloud digital signage you can build templates that ensure consistency in branding and messaging, but still allow local customization. This means a single message can be adapted to fit the needs of a manufacturing site Ohio, a corporate office in Texas, or your outlet retail stores across the nation (and the world) without starting from scratch each time.

7. Track What Works and Improve as You Go

Great internal communication doesn’t stay still. As your business grows and evolves, your strategy needs to adapt.

That means tracking how your messages perform. Which content gets the most engagement? Are certain screens or sites consistently offline? How often is content refreshed?

With digital signage, keeping your content fresh is one of the most effective ways of ensuring engagement. Having a regular program for your internal communications strategy might mean:

• Having a new content calendar to ensure displays stay fresh
• Scheduling content in advance
• Using apps or integrations to display live data and up-to-date information
• Automating certain types of content, for example pulling announcements from a specific Teams or Slack channel

Qualitative feedback matters too. Talk to teams. Ask how they prefer to receive information, and what kinds of content they find useful. Then use this insight to guide future campaigns.

Over time, these small adjustments add up — helping your communication stay relevant, effective, and engaging.

Read more: Guide to Internal Communications.

Using Digital Signage to Improve Internal Communication

Internal communication is a system, not a one-off project. It involves people, tools, processes, and culture - all working together to keep your organization aligned.

For communications teams, the goal is to make information feel accessible, timely, and meaningful, no matter where someone works or what their role is.

ScreenCloud unites all of your tools and elevates your internal comms strategy, offering a visible platform across your organization. From the head office, to the factory floor, digital signage has been changing how some of the world's biggest businesses do employee communication.

Looking for a digital signage tool built for the demands of modern enterprise? Find out how ScreenCloud can help bring your internal communication ideas to life... Book a demo today, or sign up for a 14 day free trial.